Former Lansdale woman faces prison for sexual contact with boy, 15

NORRISTOWN — A Marlborough woman, formerly of Lansdale, learned on her birthday that her future includes state prison time for having sexual contact with a 15-year-old boy at locations in Upper Gwynedd.

Deborah Lynn Bortz, who turned 47 on Thursday, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to two to four years in the State Correctional Institution at Muncy on a charge of statutory sexual assault in connection with incidents that occurred between January and February 2013 with the underage boy. Judge Gary S. Silow also ordered Bortz to complete six years of probation after she’s paroled, a sentence that will result in 10 years of court supervision.

“This was appalling behavior,” Silow addressed Bortz, who showed no emotion and expressed no remorse or apologies before learning her fate.

Testimony revealed Bortz is currently undergoing treatment for a medical condition. With that in mind, Silow ordered Bortz to report to state prison on Nov. 14 to begin serving her sentence.

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However, the judge said, if Bortz’s doctor determines she requires no further medical treatment, Bortz is to surrender to state prison officials on Sept. 4.

Bortz, of the 900 block of Lakeview Drive, Marlborough, formerly of the 800 block of Clay Avenue, Lansdale, covered her face with her hand and refused to comment to a reporter as she left the courtroom with her lawyer, Stephen Geday.

Assistant District Attorney Anthony Coccerino sought state prison time against Bortz, who pleaded guilty to the felony charge.

“It’s a serious offense,” said Coccerino. “Unfortunately, there’s this misconception that when young teenage males are the victims that somehow they’re not nearly as victimized as females would be. It’s inaccurate and sentences like these show…that these crimes are just as dangerous to the boys as they are to the girls.”

The judge said he was “moved” by a victim impact statement written by the boy and his family. The judge said the letter “opened up my mind” about the serious psychological ramifications of such criminal conduct.

Coccerino said Bortz betrayed the boy and his family for her own sexual gratification. The judge ordered Bortz to have no contact with the victim and his family.

Bortz also will have to report her address to state police for the rest of her life in order to comply with the state’s Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act. Bortz was evaluated by the Pennsylvania Sexual Offender Assessment Board, which determined she did not meet criteria to be classified as a sexually violent predator.

An investigation of Bortz began Feb. 15, 2013, when the mother of the teenage boy contacted Upper Gwynedd police to express concerns about late-night text message communications occurring between her son and Bortz, according to the arrest affidavit.

“The examination of the text message content involving the victim’s phone number and Bortz’s phone number revealed numerous conversations that were of a sexual nature and involved drugs and alcohol,” Upper Gwynedd Police Officer Jonathan Kelcy alleged in the criminal complaint, adding the text messages included “graphic details of a sexual nature.”

The text messages also revealed a plan whereby Bortz allegedly provided the victim with $70 to purchase marijuana for her, according to the criminal complaint. The communications revealed a plan to smoke the marijuana together, according to the arrest affidavit.

When confronted by police with the text messages, Bortz allegedly admitted to providing the teenager with the money to purchase marijuana for her, according to the criminal complaint. Bortz allegedly told police they were planning on smoking the marijuana together but that she eventually flushed it in the toilet.

Additionally, Bortz admitted to touching the 15-year-old boy in an indecent manner while they were together, according to the arrest affidavit.

However, the teenager revealed additional information about his relationship with Bortz, including that Bortz engaged in various sexual acts with him on five different occasions, according to the criminal complaint.

Other charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, corruption of a minor and solicitation of minor to traffic drugs were dismissed against Bortz in exchange for her guilty plea to the statutory sexual assault charge.